Articulated railway car



Sept. 3, 1968 H. B. WEBER ARTICULATED RAILWAY CAR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledAug. 1, 1966 INVENTOR. //4/VJ 5 W552 p 3, 1968 H. B. WEBER 3,399,631

ART ICULATED RAILWAY CAR Filed Aug. 1, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q 0 0 o A 5i 36 0 Q Q JO Q40 v Q A l T9 67 f o f IQ Q Q Q 7 .4? 0 (3 J5 a; 64 j?F/G 4 47 w 52 w p as 47 66 2 22 i! W 66 I 4/ W W INVENTOR #444; 5? WZEZ?F/G 6 BY 05rd?! Sept. 3, 1968 H. B. WEBER 3,399,631

ARTICULATED RAILWAY CAR Filed Aug. 1, 1966 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR MWUnited States Patent 3,399,631 ARTICULATED RAILWAY CAR Hans B. Weber,Redford, Ohio, assignor to Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 569,239 7 Claims. (Cl.1054) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE DESCRIPTION The cars of an articulatedunit are connected semipermanently and remain connected until they needto be separated for repair or other servicing. As the prior artindicates, car-to-car connections need not comprise a complicatedautomatic coupler and draft riggings of independent cars, but may take alinearly rigid form permitting only angling freedom of a car relative toa coupling point but no relative linear motion of cars within such unit.

The present invention is concerned essentially with a simplifiedcar-to-car connection which has general applicability in connectingvehicels of any type which are permitted to be connected togetherwithout provision for relative linear movement. The invention isparticularly applicable to articulated vehicles wherein the componentcars are supported on trucks located under the car-to-car couplingcenters. Car construction of this type is found advantageous in somefields of use because there is no overhang of the coupling centerbetween cars with respect to the nearest car truck. Overhang is awellknown aspect in the construction and operation of conventionalindependent cars, and is easily coped with in cars of independent typebecause of the angling freedom of the coupler shanks with respect toparent cars.

An important object of the present invention i to provide a car-to-carcoupling for adjacent cars of :a train which effects semi-permanent,linearly non-yielding relationship of the cars but allows relativeuniversal angling of the ears, and allows ease of connecting thecomponents of the coupling.

Another object is to provide a car-to-car coupling for connectingrailway cars which share an undercarriage common to both, such as aconventional four or six-Wheel car truck.

It is also an object to provide a car-to-car coupling which isstructurally related to a car truck centered immediately under thecoupling in a manner as to stably support adjacent ends of the cars.

It is also an object to supply the car-to-car coupling of the foregoingobjects with readily removable components such as those portions of thecoupling which sustain the greatest rates of wear.

A further object of the invention is to effect linear compactness of thecoupling in order to minimize stresses imposed on coupling components bythe weight of the cars and the loads carried thereby.

Still another object is to provide a car-to-car coupling conforming tothe above named objects which is structurally correlated with car trucksof conventional or standard design except for possible minor bolstermodification.

This invention carries out the above objects and others apparent belowin the structural arrangement described below comprising a coupling forconnecting end portions of cars of adjacent end-to-end relationship, anda car truck which supports such car end portions. The coupling comprisesan insert element and an ambient element, each in fixed relation withrespective adjacent cars and projecting frontwardly therefrom into maleand female relationship, and means, including a pm which extends throughand joins distal portions of the elements in a manner enabling them, aswell as respective cars, to pivot with respect to a center of relativeuniversally pivotal movement.

It is a feature of the invention that the elements and the parent carsare in longitudinally non-yielding relation with such pivotal center.The ambient element has an upper Wall and a lower wall partiallydefining a cavity therein for receiving the distal portion of the insertelement. Such walls of the ambient element have bearing portions injournal-bearing coaxial relation with the pin. The opposing innersurfaces of the walls have recesses located radially outwardly from thebearing portions to provide vertically-angling freedom of that portionof the insert element extending into the distal portion of the ambientelement. Because of the heavy vertical loading occurring within thecoupling when used in connection with cars that share a comm-on cartruck for support, an important and more specific aspect of theinvention is the bearing structure in the lower part of the couplingwhich accommodates the relative universal angling movements of thecoupling elements, but during connecting or uncoupling of adjacent cars,the insert element may be inserted into or withdrawn from the ambientelement along a generally straight-line path.

In the drawing with respect to which the invention is described:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation of railway cars arranged in trainrelationship in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view in larger scale than FIG. 1 illustratingend portions of cars with the coupling thereof centered over afour-wheel car truck;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation of the articulated car structure shownin FIG. 2;

FIG. 3a is a fragmentary front elevation of side bearings and associatedcar structure shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation in still larger scale and in section of thecoupling for connecting the adjacent car portions of FIGS. 1 to 3 astaken along a central longitudinal vertical plane represented by lineIV-IV of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the coupling and car and truckportions as shown in FIG. 4, partially sectioned along a horizontalplane containing the pivotal center of the coupling as represented byline VV of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary transverse elevation with portions of thecoupling and side frame sectioned along' a vertical transverse plane NNas shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary schematic plan view illustrating a side-bearingarrangement in respect to end portions of two coupled car bodies inplace over bolster and car truck structure;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary schematic side view of side bearings andassociated structure shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view in fragmentary cross section taken along line IXIX ofFIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary schematic plan view of a modified side-bearingarrangement and associated end portions of cars in place over bolsterand car truck structure;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side elevation of side bearings and associatedstructure shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a view in fragmentary cross section taken along line XII-XIIof FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary schematic shortened plan view of a side-bearingarrangement in association with portions of three connected cars andunderlying truck and bolster structure.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side view of side bearings and associatedstructure shown in FIG. 13; and

.FIG. is a cross sectional view taken along line XVXV of FIG. 14.

FIG. 1 illustrates a series of cars 4, 5, 6, and 7, illustrative also ofa train of many more cars, in which an adjacent pair of end portions oftwo cars are directly supported on one car truck, such as the trucks 9and 10. The load forces imposed on any one truck from the cars connectedtherewith are transmitted from the cars to the truck through acar-to-car coupling, such as couplings 11. At the extreme ends of aseries of such cars, the car portions may comprise a car truck such ascar trucks 12 and 14, supporting only the end portions of cars at thetermini of the series in a conventional manner. The train or series ofcars may also comprise automatic couplers 15 connected with respectivecars by shock-absorbing draft rigging including draft gears ofconventional design.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate a pair of adjacent car portions, e.g., portionsof cars 4 and 5 and the associated car truck 9 in enlarged plan andelevation views to bring out greater detail of the structure insemi-permanently connecting cars sharing a common car truck within anarticulated vehicle. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the coupling 11 shown comprisesan insert or male coupling element 17 and an ambient or female couplingelement 18 with the distal portions thereof connected at theintersections of a central longitudinal vertical plane M--M of the carsand a transverse vertical plane NN extending at right angles to theplane M-M. The intersections of these planes define a vertical axis of apin 19 which extends through the distal portions of the couplingelements in male and female relationship. Because the pin 19 is receivedby a complementary bore 21 in a bolster 22 of the car truck 9, itfunctions and may be known as a king pin in the common parlance of thetrade. Other than the special construction of the bolster 22 hereinbelowdescribed, the car truck 9 may be of any conventional design. Indescribing structure herein the front end of either element 17, 18 isits distal end and any part of that element or its parent car spacedtherefrom is relatively rearward.

In achieving a coupling that may be readily coupled along a simple,straight line path of one element thereof into the other and yet providerelative universal angling freedom of the elements, a major aspect ofthe invention is the interrelationship of the distal portions ofcoupling elements 17 and 18. In this connection, it should be noted thatelement 18 comprises an upper wall 24 and a lower wall 25 which havebearing portions 26 and 27, respectively, and partially define a cavity28 therebetween. The walls are spaced slightly greater than the heightor thickness of that portion of the element 17 in order that it may beadmitted into the cavity 28. As one option, the lower bearing portion 27may provide partial or entire vertical support for the element 17 withinelement 18. When the pin 19 is withdrawn from the element 18, it isobvious that the element may pass into and out of the element 18lengthwise of a longitudinal axis A-A.

However, to construct the walls 24 and 25 with the spacing of thebearing portions thereof closely approximating the height of the portionof element 17 inserted therebetween requires that the walls 24, 25 berecessed radially outwardly from the bearing portions in order that theconcavo-convex wall 31 of element 17 has freedom of movement as thecoupling elements execute relative vertically-angling movements. Hence(see FIG. 4) the upper wall 24 is recessed at 32 and 33 along arcs aboutthe axis PP, and the wall 25 has an annular recess 35 concentric withrespect to the axis PP and the bearing portion 27, which provide theinsert element with vertical angling freedom while simultaneouslyexecuting horizontal angling about the axis P-P in any desired ranges ofboth vertical and horizontal angling movements.

In the embodiments shown, the insert element 17 is provided with anopening 37 of rear semi-circular contour and of forward partiallyspherical contour to define the spherically concave surface 38 of thewall 31. The opening 37 thus accommodates the pin 19 and a bearing block39 having a forward surface of complementary curvature to the surface38. The block 39 has a rear partially cylindrical surface 31complementary to the portion of the side surface of the pin 19. Theblock 39 is brought into play during draft action on the parent cars ofthe coupling and functions as a wear-absorbing element along with thepin 19 as replaceable expendable component-s of the coupling.

The outer spherically convex surface 42 of the element 17 is engageablewith a rearward spherically concave surface 43 of the element 18. Thissurface is front facing with respect to the car to which the element 18is fixed and optionally may be defined by an integral wall of thatelement, but as shown, is the front face of a wear plate 45 of box-likeouter shape to fit the rearmost portion of the cavity 28. This wearplate is intended to be readily replaceable upon reconditioning of thecoupling. As FIG. 5 makes apparent, a portion of the element 17forwardly of the axis P-P is tapered at 46a and 47a away from thelateral walls of the element 18, and the forward lateral wall portionsof element 18 are flared forwardy relative to car 5 alongside a portionof the element 17 disposed rearwardly of the axis PP to allow desiredrelative angling movements of elements 17 and 18 in a horizontal plane.

Another important feature of the present invention is the provision of apair of annular rings 47 and 48 within the recess 35. The ring 48 seatsalong the bottom of the recess 35 and is intended to maintain asubstantially fixed position with respect to an upper center plate 49for the car defined by the wall 25. The upper surface 51 of the ring 48is spherically concave and functions as a seat for the ring 47 which isspherically convex along its under surface 52. Because of a clearance 53between the rings and the bearing portion 27, the ring 47 is free toshift with respect to the center of revolution 30 along the sphericalsurface 51 in response to relative vertical angling movements of theelements 17 and 18. The spherical surfaces of the rings have centerpoint 30 as a center of revolution. As shown, the undersurface of theelement 17 is engaged by the upper surface of the ring 47 as the resultof the car truck 22 being the sole support of adjacent ends of two carsconnected through respective elements 17 and 18.

However, to facilitate the transfer of element 17 into and out ofelement 18, the upper surface 55 of the ring 47 is on an approximatelevel with the upper surface of the bearing portion 27 when the elements17, 18 are in longitudinal non-angled alignment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and5.

In providing for the structure just described, the lower wall 25 isshaped to provide, almost automatically, an outer cylindrical surface 59and an annular disk surface 60 defining the upper center plate 49 of thecar. The lower center plate 61 of the car is defined by a center portionof the bolster 22. As shown, the upper surface of the bolster forms aflange 63 protruding above the flat upper surface 64 of the bolster. Theflange encircles a flat disk surface 65 overlaid by thin wear plate 66.The diameters of the upper and lower center plates, the dimensions ofthe rings 47 and 48, and the undersurfaces of element 17 components areselected in accordance with forces imposed thereon through the couplingelements 17, 18 by respective cars and ladings carried thereby.

In trains of cars incorporating the invention, side sway or roll iscontrolled by lower side-bearings mounted on the bolster 22 at each sideof the coupling and upper side-bearings fixed to the end sill of one orboth of the adjacent cars. In the embodiments of FIGS. 2 to 6, thebolster comprises side-bearings 71, 72 fixed to the remainder of thebolster at the upper side thereof and presenting upwardfacing flangesurfaces. Each bolster side bearing is engageable by an upper sidebearing of each car. For example, the lower side-bearing 72 is engagedby an upper side-bearing 73 of car 4 and an upper side-bearing 74 of car5. In a similar manner the lower side-bearing 71 is engaged by upperside-bearings 76 and 77 of cars 4 and 5, respectively. The upperside-bearings 73 to 76 are of strongly reinforced construction andattached in a very substantial manner to the frames of respective carssince they are on occasion subjected to heavy loads. The upperside-bearings which share a common lower side-bearing, as arrangedaccording to FIGS. 2 and 3, are in tandem relationship and are spacedsufliciently from each other to prevent engagement of the ends thereofas cars 4 and 5 negotiate any anticipated curve.

The type of side-bearings portrayed by FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 differ fromthose shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 primarily in the design of the upperside-bearings attached to the car end structure. In this instance, car 4is equipped with upper side-bearings 81 and 82 spaced equidistantly fromopposite sides of the vertical center plane MM but more closely togetherthan upper side-bearings 83 and 84 attached to the end structure of car5. The side-bearings of both cars are of sufiicient length in thelongitudinal direction of the train to extend past the transversevertical center plane NN when the cars 4 and 5 are positioned on trackof normally anticipated curvatures. With this arrangement of upperside-bearings, sway or roll forces of the cars may be transmitted to thebolster in the region of its longitudinal center plane NN rather than toone side of such plane in a manner tending to tilt the bolster about anaxis extending transversely of the car lengths.

FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 illustrate another arrangement of upperside-bearings mounted on the end structures of opposed car ends. In thisarrangement, the car 4 is provided with side-bearings 86 and 87 both ofwhich are of channelshape cross section in a vertical plane takentransversely of the cars. The side-bearings 86, 87 are attached to a car4 at a level enabling them to directly engage the lower side-bearings 71and 72 of the bolster 22. These side-bearings are positioned preferablyequidistantly from the central longitudinal vertical plane MM. The car 5is equipped with upper side-bearings 88 and 89, each of which has itsundersurface extending from its parent car toward the adjacent car inhorizontally overlapping relation with an upper horizontal surface ofthe adjacent upper bearing of the opposed car. For example, theundersurface 91 of the upper side-bearing 88 is closely superposed withrespect to an upper surface 92 of the lower web 93 of the side-bearing86. Both upper side-bearings extend past the transverse median plane NNof the bolster at all normally anticipated curvatures of the track onwhich the cars 4 and 5 may be positioned.

FIGS. 12, 13, and 14 illustrate still another arrangement of upperside-bearings in which the side frame has lower side-bearings 71, 72which, as shown, may be similar to the lower side-bearings of thepreviously described embodiments. Each car has a pair of upperside-bearings 95, 96 which under normal conditions are in closesuperposition with the lower side-bearings 71 and 72. Each car also hasa pair of wings 97 and 98 which extend transversely of the cars fromopposite sides of the coupling element 18 and are fixed or integraltherewith. Observing car 5, for example, each car may be made resistantto sway or roll by its pair of upper side-bearings 95, 96 at one end ofthe car and its pair of wings 97, 98 at the other end of the car. Swaycontrol is thus derived by anti-sway means projecting from each end ofthe car to the adjacent car 7 truck bolster shared by the anti-swaymeans of the adjacent cars both fore and aft of each car.

Since there is some anti-sway control inherent in the seating of theupper center plate of element 18 on the lower center plate of thebolster, an optional arrange ment under some circumstances is to providethe arrangement of FIGS. 12, 13, and 14 without side wings 97, 98 of thecoupling element 18.

The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation and there is no intention of excludingsu-ch equivalents of the invention described or portions thereof as fallwithin the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An articulated railway-car structure comprising:

(A) end portions of two cars in adjacent end-to-end relationship;

(B) a car-to-car coupling comprising an insert element and an ambientelement fixed to adjacent respective cars and having frontward distalportions in malefemale relationship, and means including a pin extendingthrough and joining said distal portions with respect to a center ofrelative universally-pivotal movement of the elements in longitudinallynonyielding relation with said center;

(C) said ambient element having an upper wall and a lower wall partiallydefining a cavity therein;

(D) said walls having bearing portions in journalbearing coaxialrelation with said pin, said bearing portions being spaced and disposedwith respect to upper and lower surfaces of the insert element to definean approximately straight-line path along which said portion of theinsert element is admitted therebetween, the inner surfaces of saidwalls having recesses located radially outwardly from said bearingportions to provide vertically-angling freedom of said portion of theinsert element within said portion of the other element; and

(E) upward-facing, universally-tilting bearing means disposed in saidlower wall in generally concentric, radially-outward relation with saidbearing portion thereof and in engagable relation with the under surfaceof said insert element.

2. The articulated railway-car structure of claim 1 wherein:

said center occurs approximately along the axis of said pin midwaybetween said bearing portions.

3. The articulated vehicle structure of claim 1 wherein:

(A) said center occurs approximately along the axis of said pin midwaybetween said bearing portions;

(B) said insert element has a thickness disposing its longitudinal axisthrough said center;

(C) said ambient member comprises a wear plate having a sphericallyconcave surface concentric to said center and facing said king pin, andsaid insert element has a spherically convex end surface of curivaturecomplementary to that of said wear plate; an

(D) said insert element has an opening receiving said pin of sufficientsize enabling said spherically curved surfaces to engage undercar-to-car bufiiing loads.

4. The articulated railway-car structure of claim 1 wherein saiduniversally-tilting bearing means is provided by:

(A) an annular recess in said lower wall defining an upward-facingconcave partially-spherical surface concentric to said center; and

(B) a support ring having an undersurface complementary to, and restingon, said annular recess surface, said ring having a larger insidediameter than said bearing portion of the lower wall to render the ringuniversally tiltable on said annular recess surface, the ring having avertical thickness disposing its upper surface generally flush with theupper surface of said lower-wall bearing portion.

5. The articulated railway-car structure of claim 1 (A) said lower wallhaving an annular upward-facing recess concentric to said pin axis; and

(B) a detachable base ring seated immovably in said annular recess andhaving an upper partially-spherical concave surface concentric to saidcenter, and a support ring having a spherically convex undersurface ofcurvature complementary to said base 7. An articulated railway-carstructure according to claim 1 wherein:

(A) said insert element comprises a bearing block and a forward wallhaving a spherically convex outer surface and a spherically concaveinner surface partially defining an opening through said distal portionthereof, said concave and convex surfaces are concentric with respect tosaid center, said pin extends through said opening, said bearing blockis disposed between said pin and said inner concave ring upper surface,said support ring having a larger 10 wall surface and is engageablewith, and may rest inside diameter than said bearing portion of the onthe upper surface of, said bearing portion of the lower Wall to renderthe ring universally tiltable on lower wall, said block has front andrear surfaces said base ring surfaces, said rings having a vertical ofcomplementary curvature, and engageable, with thickness disposing theupper surface of the supper; said pin and said inner concave surface ofsaid end ring approximately flush with the upper surface 0 wall,respectively;

said lower-wall bearing portion. (B) said ambient element comprises adetachable wear 6. The articulated railway-car structure of claim 1plate seated in the rear of said cavity having a wherein: sphericallyconcave surface of complementary cur- (A) said insert element comprisesa bearing block and vature with said end-Wall convex surface; and

forward end wall having a spherically convex outer (C) said opening islarge enough for movement of the surface and a spherically concave innersurface parpin therein to allow engagement of said end wall tiallydefining an opening through said distal portion with said wear plateduring car-to-car buffing acthereof, said concave and convex surfacesare contionr centric with respect to said center, said pin extendsthrough said opening, said bearing block is disposed References Citedbetween said pin and said inner concave wafll sur- UNITED STATES PATENTSface, said block has front and rear surfaces 0 complementary curvature,and engageable with, said pin 4/1941 Bfrrows et 21367 XR and said innerconcave surface of said end wall, 2341333 5/1941 K1m 1e 213 67 XRrespectively; 2,268,313 12/1941 Urbinatl 105-4 (B) said ambient elementhas a spherically concave 2,712,479 7/1955 Hadfie1d 308-437 surface ofcomplementary curvature with said end 2,737,903 3/1956 Mcqormlck wallconvex surface defining the rear end of said 3,216,370 11/1965 Kuhgke105-4 cavity; and

(C) said opening is large enough for movement of the pin therein toallow engagement of said end wall a rear front-facing surface of theambient element during car-to-car bufiing action.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

H. BELTRAN, Assistant Examiner.

